Our Heart Goes out to Afghanistan
We, at Shia Rights Watch, are deeply saddened by the ruthless targeting of Afghan Shia by two suicide bombers attacked a Shia mosque in the western Afghan city of Herat on August 1, 2017. The attack was reported to have killed as many as 29 individuals and wounded up to 64.
Afghan Shia have been attacked and killed for decades and such attacks have elevated since the beginning of 2017. In the month of July, 30 Shia were killed and 42 wounded in a suicide car-bomb in heavily populated Shia district of Kabul. More than 1,700 civilians have been killed in attacks in Afghanistan so far this year, many of which belong to the minority Shia community.
As we condemn all killing and acts of violence, SRW emphasizes the need for minority rights advocacy as most human rights violations in the world are inflicted upon minority groups.
We also urge the Afghan government to take immediate action to protect Shia populated areas to prevent further attacks.
Our heart goes out to families and community members of all victims of terror, and we invite international committees to stand up for minority rights.
